Welcome to TEAConnect - the official media relations center and social media hub of the Themed Entertainment Association (TEA), the international alliance for the creators of compelling experiences and places. This is a platform for major announcements from the association, selected articles, and a gateway to other TEA websites, resources for the themed entertainment community and press information.

See two full collections of photos from this terrific event on TEA's Facebook page - here, and here.

Marty Sklar book event at WDI
On August 29, 2013, at Walt Disney Imagineering, a special TEA event was held celebrating the publication of Disney Legend Marty Sklar's new book, "Dream It! Do It!" Marty took the time to honor TEA executive director Gene Jeffers, who is retiring in 2013 after many years of dedicated service. Each TEA member who attended received a copy of Marty's new book, and proceeds from ticket sales benefited the Ryman Arts Foundation.

"Marty's book was a great eye-opener for me. I loved that there were new stories, many of which had never been shared before. The stories of the major involvement he had in writing some of the company announcements, particularly the announcement of Walt's passing (written so quickly!) were very special. To me, though, the most compelling was a realization that there are different types of creative people, and it helped me define my goal for where I want to be in the themed entertainment world as I make my transition from my other career. I may never be the super-creative blue-sky visionary; those are not my skills. My creative skills and talents are in bringing those creative ideas to life and delivering on those visions.

"Marty's explanation of how Imagineering and Disney (and many other successful similar enterprises) have had such success with a balance between the creative (Walt, Marty, Bruce, etc.) and the delivery (Roy, Mickey Steinberg, Craig, etc.) was the real defining moment for me in reading this book and one I will ALWAYS be thankful for. I felt, after reading Marty's book, that I had finally found my path and my goal in the attractions industry.

"The event with Marty was a different kind of special. It was my first time at Imagineering where I actually got to go into the main 1401 building, and to be able to have that experience: to see what the Imagineers are working on, to hear from Marty himself and to have dinner with such a special group of folks (and all for a good cause, too!) -- the only word for it is inspiring. My membership in TEA has been absolutely transformative, and it's all because of the opportunities to meet and learn from the best mentors and experts in the industry -- and to share moments like these" -- J.F.

Wednesday, September 4th, 1:00-3:00pm
Give Kids the World at Give Kids The World Village
210 South Bass Road, Kissimmee, FL 34746

There is a TEA NextGen mixer on Wednesday, September 4th from 1:00-3:00pm at Give Kids the World (GKTW), a non-profit resort where kids with life-threatening illnesses are hosted with their families for a free-week long vacation.

We will be given a tour by the director of GKTW, followed by a Q-A and meet-and-greet for TEA NextGen members. This will be a great opportunity for TEA NextGen members to get to know one another better.

A minimum of 15 people is needed to confirm this event!
If you wish to attend, please contact Marissa Blake in advance at mblake@voa.com. If we cannot get 15 people the event will be rescheduled for later in the fall.

Carpooling is encouraged! The event ends at 3:00pm, allowing plenty of time if you are scheduled to attend the SeaWorld event later in the day.

Don Marinelli
(founder, ETC, Carnegie Mellon University) will deliver a shot across
the bow – a challenge to us as an industry to engage in what he calls
“whole brain” thinking. When we go beyond

Don Marinelli

the old left brain/right brain paradigm, we can
harness a more complete understanding of the intersection between art
and technology.

Storytelling

Adam Bezark(The
Bezark Company) presents this lively, entertaining segment about where
storytelling is headed in our modern age. An amazing range of story
minds, from inside and outside the experience industry, are joining us
to discuss such topics as:

Tools You Can Use - We’ll explore new and classic tools for
strengthening the stories your projects... whether you’re creating a
dark ride, a museum exhibit or a looping wooden coaster.

Storytelling Technology - How are storytellers using new software to
craft complex, interactive and engaging stories and new formats?

Where do we go from here? - The market for storytelling is
exploding into areas never imagined. Where is story heading, and how can
you be part of the journey?

Al Cross(PGAV Destinations) curates this segment about the state of architecture and its role in the themed entertainment world.

Jonathan Douglas

Creating an Attraction is Like Making A Great Movie - Jonathan F. Douglas
(VOA Associates) discusses how architecture can be used to tell great
stories. By encouraging audience engagement and interpretation,
narrative spaces can create deep, meaningful experiences.

Delivering Story: Architecture’s Role - This roundtable
discussion focuses on the ways in which architecture can deliver story
without overwhelming it. How much of the backstory needs to exist in
studs and drywall? What is the architect’s role in determining the
balance?

Cecil Magpuri
of Falcon's Treehouse will talk about the balance of creative design
and architecture in a project and the ingredients of a great
collaboration.

Chuck Hoberman, inventor of the Hoberman Sphere, will discuss transformable design and adaptive building technology.

SCAD & WDI - Josh Lind of the SCAD Collaborative Learning Center, David Stofcik (Walt Disney Imagineering Architect) and SCAD Student/WDI intern Shelly Martin will talk about the college's work in which students contributed ideas to real-world Disney projects.

Opening night reception… stay tuned for details

Friday, October 4

Technology

Mk Haley
(Disney Research) brings us a segment all about the exciting advances
in technology that are enabling us to create richer entertainment
experiences.

Mk Haley

The Death of Halogen and the Rise of Coherent Light- Paul Kent and Chris Conte of
Electrosonic leads this discussion about recent advances in lighting
and projection technology and how they can be applied in new and
creative ways to the world of themed entertainment. Speakers will
include Bryan Boehme of Christie and others TBA.

exploited to create genuinely great guest experiences? What are the
challenges inherent in providing intimate, personal experiences on a
theme park scale? Produced by Jason Hintz Llopis, the session will include Mark Gilicinski (MobileXpeditions), Joshua Jeffery (Warhol Museum) and Asa Kalama (Walt Disney Imagineering).

Experience

Phil Hettema
(The Hettema Group) leads this segment dedicated to the experience –
the result of storytelling, architecture and technology all coming
together.

Dave Cobb

Cosplay Colonists - Dave Cobb
(Thinkwell) explores the ways in which fans creatively express
themselves through role-playing and user-generated experiences.
Increasingly, fans are not content to merely consume the things they
love, but desire to live out their fantasies in the real world, leading
to intersections of audiences and destinations that have never before
existed.

Creating Meaning Together - Jake Barton
(Local Projects) talks about creating genuine meaning in collaborative
public spaces. From the 9/11 Museum to Storycorps, Local Projects has
focused on engaging audiences through emotion and technology. This
session will examine how new ways of interacting with technology is
impacting how we tell stories together.

Liz Gazzano

Pixar: A Culture of Collaboration - Keynote Address

In the closing keynote, Roger Gould and Liz Gazzano
let us inside the world of Pixar. They’ll discuss how Pixar fosters a
culture of collaboration among its many departments, and how they work
with Walt Disney Imagineering to create attractions that seamlessly step
off the screen and into the real world.